Velocity (7 page)

When he returned to the room, he sat on the bed against the
headboard and sipped his own beverage. Would he be able to find something to do
around the tour or would they laugh at him since he had no education or
experience beyond helping take care of his family’s horses while he was growing
up?

A lump settled into his gut and he looked at his coffee with
distaste, not wanting to finish it. If he quit riding, he would truly have
nothing to do. Now the cold, hard reality was hitting him. As he set the cup on
the nightstand, his hands shook.

Savannah walked out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam and
he looked up at her.

“Paolo? Are you all right? You look like you’ve seen a
ghost.” She came and sat next to him, setting one hand on his thigh. “What’s
going on, honey? Do I need to call your brother?”

Unable to speak around the seeming constriction in his
throat, Paolo shook his head.

Savannah rubbed his thigh vigorously. “Come on, Paolo.
Breathe for me. Focus on my eyes and breathe. Match my breath.” She slowly took
in a breath and let it out. “That’s it. Just keep doing that.”

She watched him carefully as he took several more breaths.

“I’m all right.”

“So tell me what’s going on.”

“I don’t have anything if I don’t ride bulls. Nothing. No
education, no work…”

Patting his thigh, she answered, “But you can find
something. And whatever it is will probably make you happier than what you’re
doing now.”

“I’ve never dealt with not knowing where to go next or what
to do. It’s always been my parents or Marco leading the way and I did what they
told me to. Now it’s me. I’m not sure I am ready to make decisions.”

“You can do this. I have faith in you.”

As he stared into her eyes, he realized it was true. This
woman who he’d only known for a short time believed he would do the right
thing. It was more than many other people in his life did. Marco was an
exception, but it was in his nature to be the big brother and take care of Paolo,
and Paolo had always been content to let him. If he couldn’t get a job on tour,
what would he do without his brother?

“I would not know where to start if the NBT doesn’t have a
job for me.”

“There’s an American expression—at least I think it’s
American—don’t borrow trouble. Until you
know
there’s nothing here for
you, don’t assume anything. The NBT employs hundreds of people, right?”

“Yes, but they probably all have something they’re good at
or something they have working experience with.”

“You’re good at things. You said you were good with animals.
That’s obviously a skill they’d need here on the tour.”

He nodded slowly. Paolo understood everything she was
saying, but it was hard to wrap his brain around the huge life change he was
making. If it didn’t work out, would he have to go back home? Would his parents
try to push
him
into running the company? Paolo knew he didn’t have a
head for business, but in the absence of Marco maybe they’d turn to him
instead.

Savannah shook him a little. “Hey there. Get out of your own
head. It doesn’t do you any good to worry until you have a reason to.” She rose
and held out her hand. “Let’s go get some breakfast. You’ll feel better with a
full stomach.”

Paolo wasn’t so sure, but after a shower he followed her
anyway. After all, that’s what he always did.

* * * * *

Savannah tried to watch Paolo without him figuring out he
was being observed. When she’d finished her shower and come back into the
bedroom area Paolo had looked positively pale, which was something given how deeply
tanned he was. She’d surprised even herself with the depth of worry that
instantly made her rush over to him.

It wasn’t surprising he was reacting this way, considering
what was going on in his life. She had a feeling when he said Marco took care
of him, he meant Marco took care of
everything
—their travel plans,
making sure they registered on time, putting winnings in the bank. It didn’t
sound like Paolo really took the initiative on anything. That was normal for
someone in his situation, but it certainly wouldn’t help him now.

Her phone chimed and she picked it up from the table. It was
a text message from her oldest friend Katrina. They’d been playing phone tag
since she’d come on the tour, since Katrina went to school and worked two
different jobs and Savannah’s hours weren’t exactly normal at the moment. She
could ignore it, but she really wanted to talk to her friend. Maybe Katrina
could give her some much-needed perspective.

You still alive?

Savannah chuckled. Looking up at Paolo, she said, “This is
my friend. Do you mind if I answer her?”

“Of course not. Please do not feel like you have to be with
me all the time.”

“I don’t.”

He motioned with his fork. “Talk to your friend.”

Yeah, I’m alive. Just busy. Lots to do. You?

As she considered how much to tell Katrina, she decided to
be vague about details regarding Paolo. This was most likely a short-term
fling, one of those things you looked back at fifty years from now with
fondness. She still wasn’t sure if she regretted giving Lesley any particulars.

Going a mile a minute, as usual. So are there any hot
cowboys?

Savannah’s gaze drifted to Paolo.

Oh yeah…but they’re really nice guys too. They’ve been
incredibly helpful.

And they had. She wasn’t lying about that.

I bet they are. Please tell me you’re at least having a
little fun, though? You’ll have some great stories for me when you get back?

She probably wouldn’t be able to tell her friend about a lot
of what had been happening, but hopefully Katrina would be happy with a couple
of funny tales.

Of course I’ll have stories. And yes, I’m having fun.
Mom.

Smiling, she waited for Katrina’s reply.

Someone has to make sure you do. Just don’t do anything I
wouldn’t do.

Considering what Katrina had done in her life, that seemed
like a pretty short list.

I can assure you that I won’t. Gotta go. Later.

Placing the phone back on the table, Savannah glanced at
Paolo again. He’d recovered some of his color, but was picking at his
breakfast.

“Eat.”

His head snapped up. “I am.”

“No, you’re not. You’re pushing the food around your plate.”

Paolo sighed, dropping his fork with a clatter. “Are you
finished?”

Savannah looked down at her own plate. When had she eaten
all that food? “Yeah.”

“Let’s just go to the arena. I cannot stand the waiting.
This is making me feel weird.”

“Okay.”

Paolo insisted on paying, and then they made their way over
to the arena a few blocks down the road. Under other circumstances, Savannah
would’ve loved to be able to spend a day at Disneyland, but there wasn’t time
and admission was so expensive. She supposed she’d have to wait to have kids
and take them. That thought was sobering since she was already nearly
twenty-seven. What was she doing having careless flings with cowboys when she
should be looking for somebody to settle down with?

Paolo reached for her hand and smiled at her, and she knew
why she was with him. He made her happy. Savannah had been focused on school
for so long. Lesley was right. She could have fun now and worry about finding a
husband later.

They arrived at the arena and after briefly meeting up with
Marco and Natalie so Savannah could hang out with them while Paolo talked to
the tour officials, Paolo left. Marco frowned as he watched his brother walk
away.

“Perhaps I should have gone with him.”

“No,” Savannah said. “He’s a grown man. He can and should do
this on his own. I know you love him, but he’s stronger than you think.”

“I know, I just—”

“Want to fix everything for everybody?” Natalie asked with a
rueful grin. “Savannah’s right. This is his thing. Let it
be
his.”

Marco reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind
Natalie’s ear. “You’re right.”

“I’m right?” Natalie feigned shock.

“You’re right a lot and I’m man enough to admit it.” Marco
glanced toward the hallway his brother had disappeared down. “I just hope he
finds what he wants.”

Paolo wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans and knocked on the
door of the officials’ room.

One of the administrative helpers opened the door. “Hi,
Jackie. Might I speak with Aaron?” Aaron Jackson was the CEO of the tour and if
Paolo was going to quit competing in the middle of a season, he was the man
he’d have to talk to.

“He’s with somebody right now. Would you like to wait?”

“Yes ma’am, please.”

She pointed toward a folding chair. “Have a seat. I’ll let
you know when he’s free.”

As directed, Paolo sat and watched as the well-oiled machine
of the NBT did its thing to get ready for the night’s event. People scurried in
and out of the room, some carrying clipboards, laptops or folders, while other
people tapped away on keyboards scattered around the room. He wasn’t sure what
all these people did for the tour, but it was obvious they all had a job and
were carrying it out with what seemed like great efficiency. Yes, everyone had
a job. Everyone but him. Hopefully that would change today though.

Jackie returned and motioned Paolo toward another door.
“Aaron can see you now.”

Paolo walked to the room and pushed the partially opened
door farther before saying, “Aaron?”

“Yes, Paolo, come in.”

He’d met Aaron several times over the past years and the man
had always been very nice to him. Paolo had heard, though, that he ruled the
NBT with the proverbial velvet glove. People didn’t cross him. Aaron indicated
the seat in front of his makeshift desk and Paolo sank into it.

“Sir…” Paolo stopped and cleared his throat. “I need to
resign from the tour.”

Aaron’s brows lowered. “Of course, son. Are you not well?
Family problems? Forgive my nosiness, but this seems kind of sudden.”

“I am well and Marco is the only family I can really speak
of right now.” He shifted in his chair. “It is not actually sudden. I am not
happy and I have decided it would be best if I didn’t ride anymore.”

“Okay then. Can I ask why you’re not happy? I am aware that
your ranking has suffered with a string of bad luck.”

“That’s part of it, but it’s more than that.” Paolo shifted
again, lifting his leg and resting his ankle on the opposite knee. “Bull riding
was Marco’s dream, not mine. I was young when he decided to leave, and I
followed him. I didn’t know what I wanted. Now, after doing this for a while, I
know bull riding is not what I am meant to do.”

“I’m sorry to see you go. We always hate to lose a rider,
but I’m grateful you’re going out on your own terms. What are your plans?”

“Well, I need to speak with someone about that. I would like
to stay on the tour if possible as an employee.”

Aaron’s face betrayed his surprise. “Oh? Doing what?”

“I like to work with animals. I thought perhaps I could help
in that area.”

“They’re probably fully staffed already, but you can try
Bill Weathersfield. He’s the man in charge of livestock. He’s probably in the
back pens right about now.”

“Thank you, sir. I will be sure to find him.”

Standing, Aaron held out his hand. “Good luck to you, son.
Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

Paolo figured the man was just being polite, but he smiled,
stood and shook the man’s hand. “Thank you again.”

After Paolo left the office, he made his way to the back
corrals. He’d never been in this part of the arena during the event time, but
wasn’t surprised to see the area teeming with stock contractors and the like.
He stopped one of them, an older man who looked as if he’d been on the tour for
about a hundred years.

“Can you tell me where I might find Bob Weathersfield?”

The man pointed at a tall, thin fellow who was currently in
deep conversation with someone. “That’s him. But good luck gettin’ close to him
right now.”

Nodding, Paolo moved closer to the man. When he finished his
conversation and started to stride away, Paolo called out to him.

“Mr. Weathersfield? Can I speak with you for a moment?”

“If that’s all it is.”

“My name is Paolo D’Alessandro. Until today I was a rider,
but I just resigned, and I was wondering if the tour needed any help with the
animals?”

“You resigned from riding? Why?”

“I didn’t enjoy it, sir.”

“Do you have any experience taking care of livestock?”

“My brother and I had horses back in
Italia
and I
often helped take care of them, but I have never had any schooling.”

Bill frowned. “We’re pretty full up on hires since it’s the
middle of the season, but I could offer you an unpaid internship. It would be a
chance to get some practical experience.”

Paolo bit his lip. Could he continue to take advantage of
Marco and spend his brother’s money on travel and lodging, especially if there
was no possibility of making any of his own? “I will have to speak with my
brother. I have taken advantage of his generosity for much too long already.”

“I understand. Well, the offer is there if you want it. I’m
sorry I can’t do more, but my hands are tied.”

They shook hands and Paolo walked away, his steps heavy.
He’d known he’d be facing an uphill battle since he had no schooling or real
experience to speak of, but he wanted a chance to prove himself. This might be
his best chance.

When he returned to see the expectant faces of his brother,
Natalie and Savannah, his heart sank and his gut tightened. Savannah seemed to
sense his discomfiture, because she stepped forward and fit her small hand into
his larger one and squeezed. He glanced down at her. She’d been great through
all this, but she was leaving. That thought depressed him more than his current
job prospects.

“They only have an unpaid internship right now because it is
the middle of the season.”

“Why don’t you take it and then you can find something else
after the season is over? Or perhaps they would hire you on after a while.”
Paolo knew his brother was trying to be supportive, but for some reason it
grated on him that Marco didn’t even expect anything different than having to
continue to support him.

He shook his head. “I’ve already asked far too much of you.
I need to figure out how to make money on my own, or return to
Italia
.”

Marco’s eyebrows shot up. “No, Paolo. You’re not going back
there until
madre
and
padre
treat us with respect.”

Paolo exploded. He didn’t get mad very often, and he
definitely didn’t want to yell at his brother, who had done so much for him,
but he was so frustrated. “I am twenty-three, Marco. What if I can’t ever make
it on my own?”

His brother looked away for a moment and Paolo wondered if
he’d really managed to anger the man. Marco, like their
padre
, had a
temper on him. It was one of the reasons the two men had clashed continually
while Paolo was growing up and still did so now. Usually Marco tried to keep
his temper under control around Paolo, but maybe he had gone too far this time.

Finally Marco turned back and regarded Paolo, sadness and
resignation clear in the depths of his dark eyes. He spoke in rapid-fire
Italian. “I cannot make you do anything, but please, know that I don’t regret
for even a moment anything I’ve done for you since we left home. The only thing
I would regret is if
you
regretted it. I never set out to make it seem
like you couldn’t do things for yourself. I always knew you could. I guess in
some ways it was selfish.” He shrugged and gave an embarrassed little smile. “I
wanted my brother with me. I’ve known you weren’t happy for a long time. And
while I didn’t discourage you from quitting the tour, I didn’t encourage you
either. I should have.”

Paolo answered, also in Italian, while Natalie and Savannah
looked between the two of them. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“I did,” Marco insisted. “I never let you be your own man.
So I’ll support you however you let me, no matter what you decide. If you want
to take the internship, take it and don’t worry about the money. If you don’t,
find something else. Maybe go to school here in the States. Maybe they have a
program you’d like at the same university your new girlfriend attends.” His
brother grinned.

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Closest you’ve ever come to one.”

“Besides, she’s leaving the tour.”

“So you could follow her and go to school.”

Paolo rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know what I
want to do.”

“Take a few days to think about it. Don’t make any hasty decisions.”

Nodding, Paolo said, “I will. You need to get ready to
compete.”

“Are you going to hang out here or sit in the stands?”

Looking over at Savannah, who was still clutching his hand,
her expression worried and anxious, he said, “I think I’ll go with Savannah. I
should explain our conversation to her.”

“Maybe she can help you talk through the different choices.”

“Maybe. Call me if you need me.”

Marco clapped him on the back. “
Ciao.
”

Paolo turned to Natalie and Savannah. “Can I escort you
ladies to the stands?”

* * * * *

Savannah was concerned about Paolo. She hadn’t known him
long, but could feel the hopelessness coming off him in waves. This was
obviously a very scary time for him. Having always known what she wanted to do
with her life, she couldn’t even imagine feeling so rudderless. But all she
could do now was lend her support.

They sat in the stands and Paolo looked around as she
watched him.

“This feels very strange.”

“I know. I’m sure it does. But you weren’t happy. Now you
have a chance to find something that fulfills you.”

Paolo frowned. “Yes, but I must figure out how to make money
soon. I have allowed Marco to support me for far too long.”

“It didn’t sound like that bothered Marco.”

He turned toward her. “It bothers
me
. I am a man, I
need to act like one.”

Savannah put her hand on the back of his neck and rubbed. He
was wound tight and she wasn’t sure what to do or say to make that better, but
she had to try. “I get that. I do. But you have a tremendous opportunity here.
I think you should consider doing the internship to get some experience and
then apply to school. I don’t know how university works in Italy, but here
there are tons of programs to help pay for school, plus student loans at really
low interest rates. You might have to be a citizen to get a loan from the
government, but there are plenty of non-government places like banks that loan
money too.”

“But how can I do any of that if I have no money? I cannot
pay back any loan I would take to attend.”

She smiled. “That’s the beauty of it. There’s something
called deferment, which means you don’t even have to start paying them back
until you’re out of school for six months or more.” Rubbing again, she
continued. “I don’t know if banks defer, actually. But what harm would it do to
look into it?”

Paolo couldn’t answer for the moment, as a ruckus in the
arena caught their attention. One of the riders was on the ground, having
evidently been bucked. When the medical staff gently rolled him over, Paolo
shot to his feet. “That’s Garrett.” He was out of his seat and making his way
down the bleacher stairs before her body got the message to follow him.

They reached the area behind the chutes and watched as
Garrett left the riding area, guarding his arm and shoulder. Marco, Conner and
Paolo glanced at each other, worry evident in their eyes.

“How much longer can he ride with that shoulder?” Conner
wondered aloud. “Damn thing dislocates like a freaking jack-in-the-box.”

Paolo looked confused and Savannah put her arm around his
waist. “Come on. Let’s go sit. You can’t help him now.”

“He’s been good to me.”

“And I’m sure he appreciates your concern, but I need to go
watch and take notes and having someone who knows the sport inside and out
would really help.” She hoped her subtle flattery would work and though he
rolled his eyes, Paolo allowed her to lead him back to their seats. From there
they watched as Conner and Marco stayed on their bulls. Both would be a part of
the next day’s short draw and needed to stick around to draft their bulls.
Paolo didn’t want to leave Marco, so Savannah used the time to talk to some of
the other riders.

Garrett approached the group, his arm in a makeshift sling.
“I’m done.”

“Done riding? Like forever?” One of the other younger riders
asked.

“Oh hell no,” Garrett answered. With a ghost of a smile, he
said, “You’d like that though, wouldn’t you?”

“No, I never like to see anybody be injured.” The kid looked
as though he was fighting the urge to call Garrett, one of the oldest active
riders, sir.

As Garrett continued to rib the kid, who couldn’t be more
than eighteen or nineteen, Savannah turned away so she could collect herself.
The poor fellow looked a little in awe and it was pretty adorable. When she
thought she could keep a straight face, she turned back. Paolo caught her eye
and winked. She had to cover her laugh with a cough.

Walking into his arms, she locked her hands behind his slim
back and whispered, “Stop that. It’s not nice.”

He looked down at her. “I am sorry,
cara
. I will try
to behave.”

“You’d better. I need these guys to like me.”

His eyebrows drew down. “As long as they don’t like you too
much.”

“I doubt that’s going to be a problem.”

“Have you looked in a mirror lately?” Paolo asked, leaning
back to give her a once-over. He turned her in his arms, putting his lips to
her ear. “I would like to have sex in front of a mirror. I could watch you or I
could watch my cock going in and out of you.” Rubbing his now-hard dick against
her ass, he said, “How hungry are you?”

“Not very.”

“Are you done with your research?”